Valve bag filling, weighing, and discharging apparatus



. p 4, 1946- w. R. PETERSQN 2,403,225

VALVE BAG FILLING, WEIGHING AND DISCHARGING APPARATUS Filed July 22, 1942 7 Sheets-Sheet -1' FIE-15 g WWW/046 WILLIAM RQPBI'EHEUN Sept. 24, 1946. w. R. PETERSON WILLIAM HPETEREUN Sept. 24, 1946. w R PETERSON 2,408,225 VALVE BAG FILLING, WEIGHING AND DISCHARGING APPARATUS '7 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 22, 1942 IE Iii-4 w. R. PETERSON VALVE BAG FILLING, WEIGHING AND DISCHARGING APPARATUS Filed July 22, 1942 FIE-E1 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 WILLIAM HPBTEHSBN.

Se t; 24, 1946. w, PETERSON 2,408,225

VALVE BAG FILLING, WEIGHING AND DISGH'ARGING APPARATUS Filed July 22, 1942 7 Sheets-Sheet s Jamil/HIM PETERSEN.

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awn M4 5 7 WILLIAM H I x I I n3 \Q. 7 l 1 Wm. r H k mm i: mun. W I QM an wuw I. HMNQX 11E!!! /1 g! mm 8 1| v 0W l ll \1 Sept. 24, 1946.

W. R. PETERSON VALVE BAG FILLING, WEIGHING AND DISQHARGING' A-PPAR Filed July 22, 1942 ATUS ' 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 J me/wtma WILLIAM HPBTBR-s UN.

Patented Sept. 24, 1946 VALVE BAG FILLING, CHARGING William R. Peterson,

corporation of New WEIGHING, AND DIS- APPARATUS Oswego, N. Y., assignor to St. Rcgls Paper Company, New York, N. Y., a.

York

Application July 22, 1942, Serial No. 451,883

Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for filling valve bags, simultaneously weighing the bags, grid automatically dischargin the bags when led.

An object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the type described which will mechanically open the shut-01f slide or gate, start the flow of material to the bag, when the bag has been placed in position and the apparatus tripped, and continue the filling and weighing operation automatically until the filled and weighed bag has been discharged and the apparatus is geturned to position for receiving another empty means for positively discharging the bag from filled position.

Minor objects and improvements will appear as th description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification-- Figure 1 is a side elevation of one embodiment of the invention, with parts in section and with parts removed for clarity of illustration;

Figure 2 is an isometric elevation of the apparatus shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a partial front elevation of the apparatus shown in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a section on the line 44 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a detail view of a trip handle;

Figure 6 is a detail view of means for releasing the bag clamp;

Figure 7 is a plan view of the control unit viewed from the upper left hand side of the apparatus as shown in Figure 1;

Figure 8 is a side elevation of the control unit, with parts broken away;

Figure 9 is a section on the line 9-9 of Figure 8;

Figure 10 is a Figure 9;

Figure 11 is a section on the line H|I of Figure 10;

Figure 12 is an isometric view of certain of the operating rods and levers;

Figure 13 is a detail view of part of the clutch mechanism;

Figure 14 is another detail view of the clutch section on the line IO-lfl of 7 vided with pivots 2 mechanism from a different angle than Figure 13.

In my copending applications Serial No. 507,- 521, filed October 25, 1943, and Serial No. 667,- 418, filed May 4, 1946, there are disclosed and claimed other forms of machines having features which are common to that herein disclosed.

The apparatus embodying the invention is mounted upon suitable framework, some of which is shown as at 20 in Figure l and some of which is omitted in order to more clearly disclose the operating mechanism. The bag filling apparatus comprises a hopper 2| which may be connected with any suitable source of supply of cement or other material to be packaged. At the bottom of the hopper, there is a propeller housing 22 in which there is a constantly rotating propeller 23. At the right of the housing, as shown in Figure 1, there is a discharge opening 24 normally in alignment with a filling spout 25. The propeller is normally in continuous operation during the use of the mechanism, but discharge of material is out 01f when desired by a suitable cut-01f slide or gate 26. The gate is operated by a rod 21 in a manner which will be described later.

A double armed scale beam 28 is fulcrumed at 29 and carries a suitable weight 30 fixed to the scale beam, as shown at 3|, It will be seen that the weight is rigidly fastened to the scale beam and, therefore, gives the scale beam a pendulum action. The front end of the scale beam is pro- 32 for a load support, Fig. 2. A rigid stop member 33 projects from the frame over the rear end of the scale beam and an adjustable stop screw 34 mounted in the scale beam arms limits the height to which the rear end of the scale beam may rise and the frame member 20 as shown in Figure 1 limits the lowering of the rear end of the scale beam.

The load support comprises a top cross-piece 35 which rests upon the scale beam pivots 32. Depending from cross-piece 35, there are hollow supporting columns 36. The lower ends of the columns have attached thereto a bracket 37 to which a U-shaped member 38 is pivoted at 39. The U-shaped member 38 has attached thereto a bag shield 40 adapted to surround the sides and rear of a bag being filled upon the apparatus. A spring 4| normally holds the shield in upright position, as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

A discharge pusher rod 42 is supported at its front end upon a roller 43 and contacts shield 40, being operated to tilt the shield and discharge the bag in a manner which will be described later.

The bracket 31 has attached to the rear side thereof an arm M which is connected to a portion of the frame by a check rod 45 which operates parallel with the portion of the scale beam between pivots 28 and 32 so as to keep the load supporting rods 36 in upright position.

Beneath cross-piece 35, there is an adjusting cross-piece 58 which may be raised or lowered by a screw i operable by a handle 52. The ends of cross-piece 58 work in slots in hollow rods 36 and have attached thereto rods 53 which are within the hollow tubes 39. The lower ends of rods 53 have attached thereto, through slots in tubes 35, a bracket 54. A bottom support 55 for the bag is pivoted to bracket '54 at 56 (see Figure 3). The rear of the bottom support 55 is provided with a lug 51 which normally rests upon the bracket 54 and maintains the bottom support in the position in which it is shown in Figure 1.

A cross-piece 58 is secured at 59 to tubes 38. The filling tube is secured to and supported by cross-piece 58.

Extending forward from the cross-piece 58, there is an arm 88. Bag clamp BI is pivoted at 62 to arm 68. The clamp is provided with a tail piece 63 to which there is attached a spring 54 which normally presses the clamp down towards the filling tube.

Mounted on the front of the hopper, there is a bracket 65 (see Figure 1) to which there is pivoted a clamp releasing lever I58 (see Figures 1, 3 and 6). On the end of lever 65, there is a roller 61 in position to engage the tail piece 63 of the bag clamp. An arm 88 extends from lever 88 and is operated by a rod 69, the movement of which is controlled in a manner to be described hereafter.

Also mounted upon the same pivot in bracket 65 there is a trip handle 18 from which there extends an arm 1I engaging a connecting rod 12, Fig. 5. The lower end of the connecting rod is provided with a fork 13 which straddles a pin in a trip arm 14 on the control unit housing 15. A

spring 15 normally pulls arm 14 to the right, as

viewed in Figure 1, against an adjustable stop 11. Connecting rod 12 is provided with a bend 18 for a purpose which will be described later. The arm 14 is mounted upon a shaft 19 extending into the control unit housing and operable to trip the control clutch, as will be described later.

A suitable source of power 88 is provided to drive a belt or chain 8 I, which operates a sprocket 82 upon a shaft 83 mounted in the housing 15 (see Figures 1, "I and 9). Rigidly mounted on shaft 83 within the housing there is a toothed clutch wheel 84 (see Figure 13). Mounted loose- 1y upon shaft 83, there is a cam carrier or drum 85. A clutch pin 88 is mounted in the cam car rier 85 and is oscillatable so that its flattened end 81 may be engaged with or disengaged from the toothed wheel 84. The opposite end of pin 86 is provided with an arm 88 normally urged by a spring 89 into clutch-engaging position. On the end of shaft 19, mentioned above, there is a stop member 98. When the parts are in the position in which they are shown in Figures 1 and 13, the stop member 98 engages arm 88 and oscillates pin 86 so as to disengage the clutch, It will be seen that when trip handle the shaft 19 is oscillated sufficiently to release arm 88 and allow the clutch to become engaged.

Cam carrier 85 is provided with a cam 9|, which upon movement of the cam carrier, engages a roller 92 on an arm 93, attached to a 18 is lowered,

ill

lever 94 pivoted at 55 and connected at 96 to a flattened portion 81 of the gate controlling rod 21'. At the rear lower end of rod 21, there is a strong spring 98 which is compressed when cam 91 forces lever 94 to the left as viewed in Figure 18, for example. This forcing of the rod 21 downward and to the left opens the gate and allows material to be discharged by the propeller to the filling spout into a bag that has been previously placed thereon.

In order to prevent entrance of dust into the housing of the control unit. a boot 99 of rubber or the like is attached at one end to the housing and at the other end to rod 21.

At the upper end of lever 94 there is provided a roller I88. When the lever is moved to the left as shown in Figure 10, a latch I8l drops downward and a tooth I82 of the latch engages the roller. The latch is pivoted at I83. Mounted upon the same pivot there is a trip arm I84 which extends upward, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. Attached to the weight carrier 38 there is a downwardly extending arm I having at the end thereof an adjustable screw I86 in position to contact the end of trip arm I84 when the weight end of the scale is raised and swings to the left, as viewed in Figure 1. It will be seen that when the weight moves about fulcrum 29, the movement of screw I86 will be more nearly horizontal than vertical and so will engage the end of trip arm I84 and raise latch I8I against the tension of spring I81.

In the normal operation of the machine, after the gate has once been opened and latched in the open position by the means just described, it remains open until the bag is filled sufficiently to cause movement of the scale beam, resulting in movement of arm I84 to release the latch. However, in order to close the gate promptly in case of any emergency where the bag was not being properly filled, there is provided a manual means for releasing latch I8I at will. Beneath the right end of the latch. as viewed in Figure 10, there is an arm I88 on a rockshaft I89. Normally the arm I88 is held in the position in which it is shown in Figure 10 by means of a spring II8. Rockshaft I88 extends outside of the control unit housing and .has mounted thereon outside the housing a stop arm III and an actuating arm IIZ, Fig. 8. A screw H3 is mounted in the bend 18 of rod 12. Normally trip handle 18 at the upper end of rod 12 would remain in the position in which it is shown in Figure 1 due to its own weight, but there is provided also in bracket a compression spring II8 which insures that normally the fork 13 will rest in the lowest position permitted by arm 14. However, as hereinafter described, when it is desired to close the gate or shut-off slide in an emergency, trip handle 18 may be raised sufficiently to operate arm I I2 and rockshaft I89 so as to lift the end of latch I8I.

In Figure 12, there is shown the relation of a number of the operating parts free from the actuating means so that their connections may be more easily understood. It will be seen from examination of this figure that when arm I84 is moved in the direction indicated by arrow III by the operation of the scale beam, latch IN is moved in the direction indicated by arrow I I5 and this allows lever 94 and gate controlling rod 21 to be moved in gate-closing position by spring 99 in the direction indicated by arrows IIS and I I1.

When the clutch is allowed to close by movement of trip handle 18 in the manner described above, the drum or cam carrier 85 will continue to move until arm 88 encounters a timing stop I on the end of a pin I21 which is mounted in an arm I22. On the other end of pin I.2I there is an arm I23 carrying a cam roller I24. Another arm I25 on the end of pin I2I is connected to a spring I26 which urges the pin in a direction to move roller I24 towards shaft 83. Slidable longitudinally of shaft 83 there is a conical cam member I21 having therein a groove I28. A forked lever I29 is fulcrumed at I30 and has pins I3I entering the groove in cam I2'I. Lever I29 also has an operating arm I32 carrying a roller I33. An arm I34 is mounted on the sleeve I35 which carries lever 94. A cam I 36 on the end of arm I34 engages the roller I33 when the arm I 34 is moved in the direction of the arrow I3I on Figure 12, at the same time that lever 94 is moved in the direction of the arrow H6.

A sleeve I38 is provided between shaft 83 and the conical cam I2? and arm I22 is mounted upon the inner end of this sleeve I38. The sleeve extends outside of the housing of the unit control and has attached thereto an arm I39 which is held in adjusted position by a pin I 49 which may enter any one of a plurality of holes I4I arranged in an arc on the outside of the housing. In this way the stop I20 may be adJusted through approximately 240 to stop the cam drum at the desired time after movement thereof has been initiated by the rocking of shaft I9.

A pin I 45, Fig. 10., extending through the end of rod 69 connects that rod to a clamp-operating shaft I47. Another arm I48 on the rockshaft carries a roller I49 which is engaged at the proper time by a cam I59 on the cam carrier. The cam I5!) is so positioned upon the cam carrier that it pletion of a cycle of movement of the unit when arm 88 again engages stop 90. Arrow I5I on Figure 12 indicates the movement of the arm I46 and consequently movement of rod 69 when the roller I 4.9 is not in engagement with cam I50, which is the greater part of the time. When the arm I46 is in the position indicated by dotted lines in Figure 12, it will be readily seen that the clamp controlling memberfifi will be lowered sufficiently to allow spring 94 to close the clamp upon a bag positioned on the filling tube 25.

At the rear end of push rod 42, there is a fork I52 connected to a rock arm I53 extending from rockshaft I54. Upon the other end of the rockshaft, there is an arm I55 carrying a cam roller I 56. This may be operated by a separate cam on the cam carrier if desired, but in the construction shown, it is arranged to be operated by the same cam 9I which operates lever 94. It will be readily seen from a comparison of Figures 12 and 13 that after the clutch has made one complete revolution and is in the stop position, cam 9I has operated upon roller I56 and is in position to move roller 92 immediately upon closing of the clutch. A spring I51 normally retracts pusher rod 42 and holds the rock arm I 53 against a stop I58 (see Figure 9).

The cam drum is held in proper stop position While not engaged by the clutch by the following means. A bell crank lever I69 carries on one arm a roller I6! adapted to enter a notch I 62 in the cam drum (see Figure 10) The other end of the bell crank lever is connected to a spring I 63 which holds the roller against the drum with sufiicient force to hold the drum against accidental movement. On arm I22 there is a link I64 carrying a roller I65 which is pulled by a spring 6 I66 into notch I62 when the drum reaches the second stop position.

It is believed that the operation of the apparatus will be fairly obvious from the foregoing description, but for convenience the entire cycle may be briefly reviewed.

Ihe apparatus being in the stop position, as indicated in Figure 13, the shut-on slide or gate 26 will be closed. The valve of a valve bag is threaded upon the filling spout 25. Thereupon, the source of power being effective, the operator moves trip handle I9 downward to the dotted line position indicated in Figure 1 whereupon, through the connecting rod I2 and arm I4, the shaft 79 Figs. 1 and 13, is rocked so as to cause resultant engagement of the clutch pin end 81 With the rotating clutch wheel 84. When the trip handle Til is moved down as described above, it is held only momentarily and, therefore, it immediateiy returns to the full line position thereof shown in Fig. 1. This happens by reason of the fact that the spring 16, which biases trip arm 14 in a clockwise direction against the stop 11, is stronger than the spring II 8. If desired, a spring, not shown, may be provided to assist spring 16 in performing the function stated.

the stop 1! as last described, the stop 90 returns to its normal position where it is effective to discontinue operation of the unit after completion of one cycle of operation thereof.

Upon the engagement of the clutch, rotative movement of the carrier in a clockwise direction, Fig. 13, is initiated with the result that cam I59 moves from beneath rolier I49, as will be apparent from Figure 13, this allowing the movement of arm I49 in the direction indicated by arrow I51 in Figure 12, and the consequent lowering of rod 69 (which is connected to arm I46, Fig. 10) and arm 66, Fig. 1. As a result, the spring 94 becomes efiective to cause the clamp E! to clamp the bag upon filling spout 25. Sub stantially simultaneously cam 9| moves roller 92 and lever 94 so as to move the slide controlling rod 27 downward and compress spring 98 with the result that the gate 25 is opened. When cam 94 actuates lever 94 as last described, the latch I9I coacts wth the roller I thereof to retain said lever 94 in the position shown in Fig. 10 after movement of the cam 9| beyond roller 92. The material is then at once discharged into the bag by the constantly rotating propeller 23. While the material continues to be discharged into the bag, the cam drum continues movement the stop I29, Fig. 13, to disengage the clutch tooth end 8! from the clutch 84. As a result, the cam carrier 95 is disconnected from the clutch wheel Fig. 12, whereby the lever 94 swings clockwise,

Fig. 12, with resultant movement of said rod 21 as described to close the gate 26. Member I34 moves when the lever 94 swings clockwise as described immediately above, Figs. 10 and 12, and cam member I36 engages roller I33 to move the conical cam I21 from right to left, Fig. 11. The latter engages roller I24 whereby, through the described mechanical connection, the stop I20 moves free of the arm 88 of the clutch pin 80 and the clutch tooth end reengages the toothed wheel 84. The cam carrier 85 now resumes rotation with the toothed wheel 84. During this period, air escapes from the filled bag to avoid the puff of dust-laden air.

Thereafter, the cam carrier 85 continues to move with the toothed wheel 84 until it is disconnected therefrom in the manner hereinafter described and, preferably, the timing is such that an appreciable length of tim elapses before such disconnecting operation is effected. Eventually, however, the cam I50 engages roller Hi9 and, through the described mechanical connection, the arm 66 is moved upwardly, Fig. 1, to thereby open the bag clamp BI against the action of spring 64'. Immediately thereafter, the cam 91 engages roller I56, Fig. 10, which effects the rocking of arm I53 in the direction indicated by arrow I01 on Figure 12 or clockwise, Fig. 10, whereby the rod 42, Fig. 1, is actuated to tilt the shield 40 and discharge the filled bag therefrom in the manner hereinafter described. After completion of the foregoing, the arm 88 of clutch pin 86 moves into engagement with stop member 90 (which was returned to normal position in the manner described above) to disengage the clutch pin 86 from the toothed Wheel 84. As a result, rotary movement of the cam carrier 85 ceases and one cycle of operation is completed. At any desired time, the trip handle '10 may be moved momentarily upwardly, against the action of spring H0, from the full line position thereof shown in Fig. 1. When this is done, a portion of the bend 18 of rod 12 engages arm 2 to move shaft I09 and arm I08 in a clockwise direction, Fig. 10. As a result, latch |0I is raised, Fig. 12, with resultant closing of the gate 26 in the manner hereinbefore described. The last described operation of trip handle may be effected upon occurrence of some abnormal operation, such as the tearing of a bag, etc.

By swinging arm I39 to the desired position and inserting pin I40 into the proper hole MI, the distance that the cam drum travels, after the clutch is closed by movement of the scale beam, can be adjusted. Where fed into the bag along with the filling material, a delay between the closing of the cut-off slide or gate and the discharge of the bag allows the air to escape gradually before the bag is removed from the filling tube. puff of dust-laden air that would otherwise be discharged through the valve opening upon removal of the filling tube from the opening. The mechanism disclosed permits the interposition of sufiicient delay, but also permits shortening the interval to what is necessary or desirable under the particular circumstances.

The particular mounting of the bottom support for the bag allows of the accurate adjustment of the height of the support, without interrupting the operation of the filling device, to give the degree of support desired, both during filling and discharging. This positions the support at eX-- actly the right distance from the filling spout to give the necessary support to obviate tearing of the top of the bag where it is threaded onto the filling tube and at the same time avoid holding the bag bottom so high that there is any interference with proper filling. When shield 40 is moved by pusher 42, it shoves the bag off of the a large amount of air is s This tends to avoid the i disclosed has been found filling tube while the bottom of the bag rests upon the horizontal bag support. After the bag moves far enough so that its center of gravity is in front of pivot 56, the bottom support tilts with the bag and allows the bag to slide off.

The pendulum action of the scale results in an even and controlled movement of the scale beam as the predetermined weight of material is fed into the bag, and the relatively great distance of trip-adjusting screw I06 from fulcrum 29 makes possible a very fine adjustment of the trip so that the feed may be shut off at exactly the chosen position of the scale beam.

The gate or cut-off slide may be of any usual or desired type, but the disclosed construction is preferred. It will be noted that the upper end of the slideway is closed to the outer air, but is open at I58 into the propeller housing. This prevents escape of dust from the slide way into the open air, but at the same time allows the edge of the gate to force any dust before it from the slideway back into the housing, so that movement of the slide is not blocked by material packed in the end of the slideway. The angle of opening I68 is such that the propeller does not pack material tightly in that opening.

While one embodiment of the invention has been described in considerable detail, it will be understood that various changes may be made within the scope of the appended claims. For example, compressed air in the cylinder enclosing spring could be used instead of the spring to close the gate, and other obvious changes might be made. Also, while the entire combination as to work together advantageously to constitute a desirable filling machine, it will be understood that a number of the features might be incorporated separately in filling devices of the same general type and retain some of their advantages.

For example, the arrangement is advantageous whereby trip handle I0 is held normally in a middle position by spring I5 holding it up as far as permitted by stop 11 and spring H8 preventing its unintentional movement upward from that position, since this enables the intentional downward movement of the handle to start the filling operation while the upward movement of the handle may be employed as an emergency stop. While this obviously cooperates with other disclosed features, th idea might be employed with quite different operating mechanisms. Other similar examples will be clear in view of the ap-' pended claims.

What I claim is:

1, In apparatus for filling and discharging receptacles, means for feeding material to a receptacle, a one-revolution clutch, manual means for closing the clutch, means responsive to the operation of said clutch for initiating the feed of material to the receptacle, adjustable means for opening the clutch during the course of its one revolution, weighing means, means responsive to the action of said weighing means for stopping the feed of material to the receptacle and reclosing the clutch, and means actuated and timed by the clutch for discharging the receptacle near the completion of the one revolution of the clutch.

2. In valve bag filling apparatus comprising a filling tube adapted to enter the valve of a bag and a gate controlling the flow of material to the tube, a onerevolution clutch, manual means for closing the clutch, connections opening the gate by the initial movement of the closed clutch, ad-

9 J'ustable means for lected point in its revolution,

the gate dered operable by the clutch near the completion of its one revolution to discharge the bag.

3. In valve bag filling point during its revolution, means controlled by the Weighing device for closing the gate, means controlled by the Weighing device for reclosing the clutch, and

comprising a filling tube valve of a bag, a Weighing device for Weighing a bag being filled through the filling tube, a gate for shutting olT flow of material to the tube, a spring urging the gate toward closed position, a latch for holding the gate open and means releasing the latch in response to weighing movement of said device, a one-revolution clutch, manual revolution, means bag is filled, and leasing the clamp clusion of the one to reclose the clutch when the connections to the clutch reimmediately before the conrevolution.

WILLIAM R. PETERSON.

clutch, connections open- 

